Michael O'Farrell (bishop)
Encyclopedia
Michael O'Farrell DD
, C.M. {7 April 1865 in Milhow, Mullingar
, County Westmeath
, Ireland
4 April 1928 in Orange
, New South Wales
), an Australian suffragan bishop
, was the fourth Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst
, New South Wales. Reverend O'Farrell was consecrated by the Apostolic Delegate
, Archbishop Cattaneo in 1920 and served until his death in 1928. O'Farrell was the first Vincentian bishop in Australia.
, O'Farrell came from a devout religious family that included two sisters who became Sisters of Mercy
, and three of his brothers became priests, two of whom migrated to Australia and worked as priests in the Archdiocese of Sydney
. O'Farrell studied for the priesthood at St Patrick's Seminary
, Maynooth
, and he was ordained priest on 23 March 1887. While at Maynooth, he studied with Daniel Mannix
, who later became Archbishop of Melbourne. O'Farrell initially served as a missionary in Sheffield
, England
, before returning to Ireland where he became the Professor of Ecclesiastical History and of Higher Mathematics and Physics at All Hallows College
in Dublin; subsequently taking up a post as Professor of Moral Theology at the Irish College in Paris
. O'Farrell returned to Ireland in 1903 and for the next ten years conducted missions and retreats based from the Vincentian Parish at Phibsboro, in Dublin.
Arriving in Sydney in 1913, O'Farrell took up residence at St Vincent's, Ashfield with the intention of conducting mission work. However, he was asked to act as the Spiritual Director of the two diocesan seminaries, firstly at St Columba's College, Springwood, and later at St Patrick's College, Manly
. By 1915, O'Farrell had become the Vice Rector at St John's College
within The University of Sydney.
as Bishop in St Michael and St John's Cathedral, Bathurst by the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Cattaneo on 30 November 1920.
After an expansionist period under Bishop Dunne, O'Farrell is accredited with placing the diocese on a firm financial and administrative footing. Immediately after his consecration, an audit of St Stanislaus' College
, Bathurst was conducted. The auditor's report was critical of the lack of proper book-keeping. Under the guidance of Fr John Hall, within three years a susequent auditor's report had seen a significant improvement. O'Farrell acquired Hatrop, a palatial residence in Bathurst and established St Vincent's Hospital in 1922 as "an institution catering especially for the sick poor."
In 1926, he brought the Daughters of Charity from England to Bathurst and entrusted them with the former Patrician Brothers
novitiate
in Orange and established a Boys’ Orphanage, the first work of the Daughters in Australia. He also presided over extensions to St Joseph’s Orphanage in Bathurst, a new church at Kandos, improvements to other churches, and new convents in Borenore, Forest Reefs, Millthorpe and Portland. O'Farrell is also credited with the growth of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
in the diocese, with congregations at Bathurst, Portland, Orange, Wellington, Cowra, Mudgee, Canowindra, Gulgong, Coonamble and Dubbo. O'Farrell also supported the university education, board and lodging of several of the Sisters of St Joseph to gain degrees in education and arts at The Unversity of Sydney. Under his bishopship, he was able to recruit postulants for the two communities of religious sisters whose work was predominantly in education: the Sisters of St Joseph and the Sisters of Mercy.
However, O'Farrell was not without his critics, most notably the Patrician Brothers who felt that he was more favourably inclined towards the Vincentians at St Stanislaus’ College. When the Patrician Brothers opened a boarding section attached to the parish school in Dubbo in 1921, O'Farrell claimed that the Brothers failed to teach the prescribed syllabus, which was the same syllabus as that laid down for the state
schools. When a summer school of teachers was organised by O'Farrell with attendees from the Department in Public Instruction, the Brothers made a cursory appearance. Following the commissioning of a report that showed less than satisfactory education and teaching performance, O'Farrell charged the Brothers with incompetence and demanded in Novemver 1924 that they leave the diocese. Despite an appeal to Rome, the Brothers lost and their schools were taken over by the De La Salle Brothers
and their novitiate in Orange became Croagh Patrick Orphanage.
As bishop, O'Farrell led a relatively private life, with the exception of a public battle with the Anglican Bishop of Bathurst
, Dr George Long. The battle became known as the Ne Temere
debate, taking its name from the 1908 decree that imposed the obligation that a Catholic marry before a priest, even when not marrying another Catholic. Failure to do so rendered that marriage invalid in the eyes of the Catholic Church. The consequence was that the Catholic Church regarded any children born of the marriage to be illegitimate.
Aware that his health was failing, O'Farrell travelled to Rome for the Holy Year celebrations in 1925, taking his administrator, Father John Norton with him. While there, O'Farrell arranged to have Norton consecrated a Bishop with right of succession. O'Farrell returned to Australia in ill-health and died in Orange Presbytery on 4 April 1928. He was buried from St Michale and St John's Cathedral in the Catholic section of the Bathurst cemetery. O'Farrell left an estate of £2,896 to his successors for charitable purposes in New South Wales.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
, C.M. {7 April 1865 in Milhow, Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
, County Westmeath
County Westmeath
-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
4 April 1928 in Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
), an Australian suffragan bishop
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
, was the fourth Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Bathurst
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst is a Latin rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Sydney, established in 1865, covering the Central West and Orana regions of New South Wales, Australia...
, New South Wales. Reverend O'Farrell was consecrated by the Apostolic Delegate
Apostolic Nunciature to Australia
The Nunciature to Australia is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Australia. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia with the rank of an ambassador...
, Archbishop Cattaneo in 1920 and served until his death in 1928. O'Farrell was the first Vincentian bishop in Australia.
Early years and background
Educated at St. Finian's College, NavanNavan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
, O'Farrell came from a devout religious family that included two sisters who became Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
, and three of his brothers became priests, two of whom migrated to Australia and worked as priests in the Archdiocese of Sydney
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Erected in 1842 and directly responsible to the Holy See, the Archdiocese is responsible for the suffragan dioceses of Armidale, Bathurst, Broken Bay, Lismore,...
. O'Farrell studied for the priesthood at St Patrick's Seminary
St Patrick's College, Maynooth
St Patrick's College, Maynooth is the "National Seminary for Ireland" , and a Pontifical University, located in the village of Maynooth, 15 miles from Dublin, Ireland. The college and seminary are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was officially established as the Royal College...
, Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
, and he was ordained priest on 23 March 1887. While at Maynooth, he studied with Daniel Mannix
Daniel Mannix
Daniel Mannix was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th century Australia....
, who later became Archbishop of Melbourne. O'Farrell initially served as a missionary in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, before returning to Ireland where he became the Professor of Ecclesiastical History and of Higher Mathematics and Physics at All Hallows College
All Hallows College
All Hallows College is a Roman Catholic college located in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland. All Hallows is one of six linked colleges of Dublin City University, meaning that the college's degrees are validated and accredited by the university.-History:...
in Dublin; subsequently taking up a post as Professor of Moral Theology at the Irish College in Paris
Irish College in Paris
The Irish College in Paris was for three centuries a major Roman Catholic educational establishment, for Irish students. It was founded in the late sixteenth century, and closed down by the French government in the early twentieth century....
. O'Farrell returned to Ireland in 1903 and for the next ten years conducted missions and retreats based from the Vincentian Parish at Phibsboro, in Dublin.
Arriving in Sydney in 1913, O'Farrell took up residence at St Vincent's, Ashfield with the intention of conducting mission work. However, he was asked to act as the Spiritual Director of the two diocesan seminaries, firstly at St Columba's College, Springwood, and later at St Patrick's College, Manly
St Patrick's Seminary, Manly
St Patrick's Seminary, Manly was the leading seminary of the Australian Catholic Church from its foundation in 1889 to its closure in 1995.Conceived by Archbishop Vaughan, it was built from 1885 in Perpendicular Gothic style by Sheerin and Hennessy on a spectacular site overlooking the Pacific...
. By 1915, O'Farrell had become the Vice Rector at St John's College
St John's College, University of Sydney
]St John's College, or the College of St John the Evangelist, is a residential College within the University of Sydney.Established in 1857, the College of St John the Evangelist is the oldest Roman Catholic university college and second-oldest university college in Australia, and is one of the...
within The University of Sydney.
Roman Catholic Bishop of Bathurst
At 55-years of age, O'Farrell was elected Bishop of Bathurst on 16 June 1920, some ten months after the death of his predecessor. His election was considered a surprise by some as O'Farrell had never served as a parish priest in Australia, nor held the office of Superior in his own community, or, it would seem, any administrative position other than that of Vice Rector at St John's. O'Farrell was consecratedConsecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
as Bishop in St Michael and St John's Cathedral, Bathurst by the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Cattaneo on 30 November 1920.
After an expansionist period under Bishop Dunne, O'Farrell is accredited with placing the diocese on a firm financial and administrative footing. Immediately after his consecration, an audit of St Stanislaus' College
St Stanislaus College (Bathurst)
St Stanislaus' College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, conducted by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul's priests and brothers...
, Bathurst was conducted. The auditor's report was critical of the lack of proper book-keeping. Under the guidance of Fr John Hall, within three years a susequent auditor's report had seen a significant improvement. O'Farrell acquired Hatrop, a palatial residence in Bathurst and established St Vincent's Hospital in 1922 as "an institution catering especially for the sick poor."
In 1926, he brought the Daughters of Charity from England to Bathurst and entrusted them with the former Patrician Brothers
Patrician Brothers
The Patrician Brothers, or Brothers of Saint Patrick, are a Roman Catholic congregation for the religious and literary education of youth and the instruction of the faithful in Christian piety.-History:This Brotherhood was founded by the Right Rev. Dr...
novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
in Orange and established a Boys’ Orphanage, the first work of the Daughters in Australia. He also presided over extensions to St Joseph’s Orphanage in Bathurst, a new church at Kandos, improvements to other churches, and new convents in Borenore, Forest Reefs, Millthorpe and Portland. O'Farrell is also credited with the growth of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international Roman Catholic voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. Active in England & Wales since 1844, today it continues to address social and material need in all...
in the diocese, with congregations at Bathurst, Portland, Orange, Wellington, Cowra, Mudgee, Canowindra, Gulgong, Coonamble and Dubbo. O'Farrell also supported the university education, board and lodging of several of the Sisters of St Joseph to gain degrees in education and arts at The Unversity of Sydney. Under his bishopship, he was able to recruit postulants for the two communities of religious sisters whose work was predominantly in education: the Sisters of St Joseph and the Sisters of Mercy.
However, O'Farrell was not without his critics, most notably the Patrician Brothers who felt that he was more favourably inclined towards the Vincentians at St Stanislaus’ College. When the Patrician Brothers opened a boarding section attached to the parish school in Dubbo in 1921, O'Farrell claimed that the Brothers failed to teach the prescribed syllabus, which was the same syllabus as that laid down for the state
schools. When a summer school of teachers was organised by O'Farrell with attendees from the Department in Public Instruction, the Brothers made a cursory appearance. Following the commissioning of a report that showed less than satisfactory education and teaching performance, O'Farrell charged the Brothers with incompetence and demanded in Novemver 1924 that they leave the diocese. Despite an appeal to Rome, the Brothers lost and their schools were taken over by the De La Salle Brothers
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
and their novitiate in Orange became Croagh Patrick Orphanage.
As bishop, O'Farrell led a relatively private life, with the exception of a public battle with the Anglican Bishop of Bathurst
Bishop of Bathurst
The Bishop of Bathurst is the the ordinary of the Anglican Diocese of Bathurst in the Anglican Church of Australia.-List of bishops:-References:...
, Dr George Long. The battle became known as the Ne Temere
Ne Temere
Ne Temere was a decree of the Roman Catholic Congregation of the Council regulating the canon law of the Church about marriage for practising Roman Catholics....
debate, taking its name from the 1908 decree that imposed the obligation that a Catholic marry before a priest, even when not marrying another Catholic. Failure to do so rendered that marriage invalid in the eyes of the Catholic Church. The consequence was that the Catholic Church regarded any children born of the marriage to be illegitimate.
Aware that his health was failing, O'Farrell travelled to Rome for the Holy Year celebrations in 1925, taking his administrator, Father John Norton with him. While there, O'Farrell arranged to have Norton consecrated a Bishop with right of succession. O'Farrell returned to Australia in ill-health and died in Orange Presbytery on 4 April 1928. He was buried from St Michale and St John's Cathedral in the Catholic section of the Bathurst cemetery. O'Farrell left an estate of £2,896 to his successors for charitable purposes in New South Wales.